The Catholic bishops of Missouri are urging the faithful to consider Amendment 5 in light of Catholic social teaching principles. Amendment 5, which will appear on the Aug. 4 ballot, would phase out the individual state income tax based on revenue growth and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes.
“While the Church does not prescribe any particular tax model, she teaches that every system of taxation must serve the common good, be guided by justice and equity and take into account each person’s ability to contribute,” the bishops said in a July 17 statement from the Missouri Catholic Conference.
The U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter “Economic Justice for All” says tax systems should be evaluated by their impact on the poor, ensuring that those with greater resources bear a proportionately greater share of the public burden. “For this reason, tax systems that rely heavily on regressive forms of taxation, such as sales taxes, should be approached with prudence because they can place a disproportionate burden on those with lower income,” the Missouri bishops’ statement said.
Amendment 5 would also curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services and require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases.
The bishops said they recognize that many supporters of Amendment 5 do so out of a sincere desire to promote long-term prosperity, but the methods “should be weighed alongside the potential effects on those who are most vulnerable.” Incentives for charitable giving should also be preserved, the bishops said.
“We encourage the faithful to consider Amendment 5 in light of these principles and to discern this decision thoughtfully. We also urge our elected officials, whatever the outcome of this vote, to ensure that the needs of the poor and vulnerable remain at the forefront of public policy,” the bishops said.
Read the bishops’ full statement at stlreview.com/45hO03Y.
